Of Pocky, Notebooks, and Hand Grenades
by Ember-in-the-flame
Summary: When L's little sister Tzuri decides to help him with the Kira case and, how long can they both go on before they're both discovered by him and killed? Rated T for language and for later chapters. Mello X OC in later chapters.
1. Page One: Siblings

This is my first fanfic under this account, so I hope all of you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. The only character that is mine is Tzuri.

* * *

"I'm going out," I proclaimed louder than necessary, lacing my red Converse up over my ankles. "Don't wait up for me if I'm a little late, okay?"

When I didn't hear a response from him, I looked up for one, and only saw him crouching in the chair his usual way, typing with only his pointer fingers at his computer like there was no tomorrow, I sighed, closed my laptop, got up from the couch and lightly tapped him on his bony shoulder.

My brother turned to stare at me, his pale face blunt, contrasted by his jet-black, flyaway hair, and his dark, somewhat emotionless brown eyes with the lack-of-sleep bags under them a bit annoyed by my interruption. "What?"

My hand moved from his shoulder to my hip, my eyebrows began to rise on my forehead. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Yes," he shrugged, slipping his hands and fingers from the keyboard and placing them square on the knees of his baggy, wrinkled jeans. "What of it?"

"Well, it'd be nice if I could hear a response so I know I'm not talking to an imaginary turkey named Bill."

His head cocked the slightest, his voice a bit amused. "I'm an imaginary turkey named Bill?"

I thrust my hands into my pockets and hunched over in irritation, looking not unlike him whenever he stood and walked around. Genetics. "You know what I mean."

"Maybe I do, or maybe not. You can be so imprecise sometimes, you know. " He turned back to the computer and began typing again, pausing every so often to take a few bites from a piece of cake that I hadn't noticed before.

With that comment, I made an inward cry of exasperation and decided to get right to my point, saving my sanity from cracking. "We're low on stuff again, L." I started, making sure to breathe. "Pocky and strawberries and other things you like. I would've order room service," I added, remembering that we were in a hotel. "But as you know we can't be too careful since this case started. Well, actually, we can never be careful. We never know who may be listening or watching. Right?"

L turned back around again, crawled up from his chair, scratched his head, the sleeve of his wrinkled, oversized, white shirt going up to his forearm, revealing the pale white skin and fine bones of his wrist, and rubbed his ankle with the opposite bare foot. He crossed the floor over to me with a rare look of approval clearly written on his face. "I guess I taught you well about being cautious, Tzuri. But rest assured there aren't any surveillance cameras or wire taps in here. I checked the room myself last night."

"You're positive?" Even though my big brother was the world's top detective, one could never be too careful about wire taps and cameras. And I was absolutely paranoid about the things.

"Yes," L insisted simply as he went back to the computer. "Now stop worrying so much."

I shrugged and scratched the back of my neck. "Sorry. You know that's a bad habit of mine."

"I do. You should stop."

"Easier said than done," I turned and began to walk towards the door, not wanting to get too in-depth with this conversation and forget my mission for Pocky. "But like I said: don't wait up for me if I'm a bit late. We need some serious restocking."

When I was about to put my hand on the doorknob, though, I glanced back to look at my brother sitting his usual way, half-working, half-munching on cake and gave a small smile in his direction. He was so cute sometimes. With that in mind, I casually strolled over to where he was sitting, stood beside him, and when he looked at me with curiosity I threw my arms around his neck in a hug then planted the lightest kiss on his cheek.

Under my touch, L's body stiffened so he felt and looked like a marble statue, which I knew was more surprise than anger, annoyance, irritation, or anything else by the way his eyes widened and his mouth opened by a fragment of an inch for only a second, then slowly faded back into his normal expression. It was his normal reaction.

I gave a quiet giggle, pulled back, and then gave him my cute 'I'm-your-little-sister-you-can't-resist-me' smile, just to make sure that if L _was_ angry, his temper would subside when he saw my face. "I'll remember to get a cheesecake, too, okay?"

His eyes narrowed and bored into mine with a serious light. "With cherries?"

Now _my_ eyes narrowed and bored into _his_ with a serious light. "_Fresh_ cherries."

"Fine," L concluded, plucking up a strawberry that topped the cake with his fork and examining it. "If you promise to at least try to get a cheesecake with fresh cherries, I'll give you this strawberry."

Ooh. The passing of the strawberry. A rare and sacred ritual when coming from my brother. If you turned it down, you were eternally shunned, but if you accepted it you had to do exactly as he told you to do, if it was a bribe. He trusted anyone who he passed the strawberry to, so it was a great honor. Not that he hadn't given me the strawberry before, but still…it felt good that he trusted me.

"OK, I promise," I replied. "But I wouldn't worry about the cherries. There's a great place not too far from here where I can get everything."

"Good." He dropped the strawberry into my waiting palm.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going, then, before the school masses arrive."

"It's likely that forty-five percent are already out."

"Oh, crap!" With that, I popped the strawberry in my mouth, jogged over to the couch, grabbed my wallet, and ran out the door. "See ya, Ryuuzaki!" I called out before slamming the door behind me, remembering to use L's alias when there were people nearby and in an earshot.

When I had gotten out of the hotel, my run turned into a normal walk, not really wanting to make a scene in the public eye. It was a beautiful day outside. It was cool, clear, and the slightest breeze tousled my loose hair and made it dance around my face. I could feel the wind whistle through the trees and in my ears as I strolled through the park that led to all the little shops and markets.

I spotted a group of boisterous, tough-looking guys not much older than my fourteen years sitting and hanging out on a bench and the short wall around the bench, all of them laughing and joking about probably something stupid and immature. When I glanced at them as I passed, they stopped and began looking at me up and down, then looking at each other with idiotic grins on their faces and wolf-whistling softly. Their comments were only uttered amongst themselves, but I could hear them perfectly. Too bad for them that my hearing was sixty-nine percent better than the average citizen. Perverts. I had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last I saw of them. And they didn't want my wallet, either. And they wouldn't want the cheesecake.

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Chapter Two should be up soon! Please R&R! And no flames, pretty pleeeeeeeease!


	2. Page Two: Capoiera

Here we go with chapter two! Hope you like it!

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When I finally came out into the clearing of the park; all the little shops that had what I needed to buy came into view. That's when I suddenly stopped in front of a tinted glass store window, saw a reflection of myself, and could have sworn for a minute that I was L, save for the color of my eyes. The pale, slender body, the dark, somewhat emotionless green eyes with lack-of-sleep bags underneath them (mine weren't as noticeable as L's; I tried to get at least one hour of sleep each night), the jet-black hair, which went straight-as-a-board down to my lower back and hung on me like a shiny, silky jacket, and, most of all, a slight hunched-over posture with my hands in my pants pockets.

I then thought of quirks that I might have inherited from him over time, looking down at my hands, examining my ragged, chewed-on-while-thinking fingernails. _That's_ _one._ I remembered sitting somewhat like him, not completely crouching, but sitting cross-legged in a chair, my feet never touching the ground. _That's two_. I only wore shoes when it was necessary, and when it wasn't, I didn't even wear socks, no matter how cold it was. _That's three_. Was there anything else? I shook my head and decided to let it go. I had a mission to complete that L was counting on me for completing.

The sweetshop was in sight, so I hurried over before anymore students could get inside; it was already a little crowded, but not to the point to where my claustrophobia kicked in, so I was content. My eyes peered through the tinted windows and I saw the guys that were in the park now were hanging out across the street, looking like they were searching for someone. Maybe one of their idiot friends. It took my brain a second to figure out the someone they were searching for was me. The little blood that was in my cheeks drained and my hands began to shake violently.

_OK, OK, just calm yourself, Tzuri. They may not be looking for you. Maybe they are looking for one of their idiot friends. Just buy what you came here for and then get home to L as soon as you're done._

"Right," I muttered to my thoughts. "I just need to get the stuff…"

With new confidence flowing in my blood, I grabbed a shopping basket, and did my duty. They had everything I needed, from chocolate and strawberry Pocky to ripe, beautiful red strawberries, tons of candy, even to the homemade cheesecake with the fresh cherries on top. And the best thing was that most of it didn't cost _too_ much…but it was worth whatever it cost.

I was in line to pay for the food when I looked out the store window again. The boys were still there, waiting, watching, looking. Craptacular. The blood drained from my face again, and I gulped.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Are you OK?"

I turned around to meet a pair of seventeen-year-old reddish-brown eyes that seemed to be kind, loving, intelligent, innocent, and trusting. His hair was a golden brown that framed his fair, flawless-without-a-blemish face, and his expression was a look of concern. He was about 5'8", as tall as L (whenever L stood upright, which wasn't often), to my 5'0", and his entire being looked lean, strong, and solid, yet as gentle as the breeze outside. He held a basket filled to the brim with ruby red apples, and he asked me again, "Are you OK?" just as sweet and concerned as the first time.

With a small smile and another look, now knowing that this boy couldn't be allied with those jerks outside, I nodded, trying to convince myself. "I guess I am," I shrugged. "I just thought I saw something outside. Must've been my imagination."

"Oh," he replied. "Well, you can't let your mind run away, huh?"

"Nobody can't. If we did, our intelligence rate would drop by sixteen percent."

He looked amused, his reddish-brown eyes lighting up by only a fragment. "Really?"

"Yes. I know it's a fact."

"Huh. That's…interesting."

"Yup. My brother told me."

"Really? What's his na-oh, hey. You're next in line."

I turned around to see that I was indeed next in line. "Oh, thank you!" I replied. "I wouldn't want to hold up a line!" I laughed nervously, wondering my fate when I stepped outside. My feet moved towards the register, and I put my items up onto the counter to pay.

* * *

_Man, I really need to keep my big mouth shut next time I go shopping for L. That cheesecake cost me 25 bucks!_ When I had paid for my goods and exited the shop I was infuriated. How could a cheesecake cost someone that much?! Oh, well. It wasn't my money…OK, it was. Twenty-five dollars for a single cheesecake with a single fresh cherry on each perfect, separated slice. Red sugary syrup flowed on the pieces like a graceful water snake, slowly swimming through a winding river.

The Pocky had to be the best kind; too, of course, knowing L he would probably reward me with another strawberry later for this endeavor, I realized. Besides, there's nothing better than a content older brother. That was my conclusion if the question of all the candy and sweet stuff with me was asked about. It's for my brother. And I wasn't lying; it was one hundred percent true. Sure, I swiped a few chocolate bars from him now and then, but that addiction hadn't been my fault. It had been Mello's, all those years ago when we were all at Wammy's House. I hadn't been there since I was eight years old, and now that my next birthday would be my 15th, I knew I should go back soon to catch up on everything.

"Hey there," A voice crept up behind me, sounding like it was right in my ear, but I knew that it was a little more than ten feet off. When I turned around, there wasn't much surprise on who it was: The leader of that gang that had been following me . "How ya doin'?"

A "hello" was my blunt reply. When I noticed that he was right in my path, I started to stroll around him, but he followed my movements.

"Now where're ya goin', sweet thing? We've barely even got started."

The vein in my forehead twitched as I stared him down. "Move, please."

"Aw, baby…" he paused to put a muscular arm around my shoulders. "…don't be that way. Why don'tcha come home with me so we can…get to know each other better?"

"And how old are you?" My eyes shot daggers into his. "You're not that much older than me. I don't see why you would want to do _anything_ like what you say when you're-what? Fifteen? Sixteen?" A cocky smirk colored my features. "You're all talk, and I'll bet you money that you're no show." With my free hand I delicately plucked his arm off of my shoulder.

One of the guys that was sitting on the bench behind the leader started laughing in a muffled tone, muttering, "Ooooh, ya just got burned by a _chick_! How the hell could you let that happen, man?"

The leader whirled around towards his posse, screaming _"Shut the fuck up!"_ so loud that the park itself quieted and all the birds that were roosting in the trees flew off, startled by the outburst.

The boy then turned back to me, teeth bared, after silencing his group. "And _you_, you little smart-ass, chicken-shit, son-of-a-bitch _bastard_-"

My face still remained cool as marble as I interrupted. "Oh, so _this_ is how you act under pressure. I'm..._flattered_ by those _wonderful_ nicknames, but _I-_" I began to stroll past the steaming boy. "-need to get home."

The boy, red-faced, grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me up to his level. "_You ain't goin' no where, whore!"_ He hissed, reaching into his pocket, revealing a large scalpel. Where he got it, I'd never know.

The cocky look that had been on my face morphed into a cold glare as I watched the scalpel shine in the dimming light and move towards my neck. "That's what _you _think!" I growled, kicking him in his crotch and flipping back onto my feet. "If you wanted to rape a girl, make sure she doesn't know capoiera!"

_Thanks, L, for teaching me that._

The other posse that had just been watching us finally jumped up, ran to their leader, and watched in horror as he writhed and moaned on the ground, lying in a fetal position.

One of the boys stared up at me as if I were a ghost and demanded, "Why the hell did you do that?! He only wanted a lil' fun action!"

My face contorted into a smirk. "And why the hell does a girl have to do what a guy wants to do? It's the 21st century, gentlemen;_ get used to it!"_

The "gentlemen" comment made the rest of the posse rise from their fallen leader and begin to approach me, chuckling and cracking their knuckles in what they probably thought was a menacing way. I gave another smirk and trotted over to a bench to drop off my purchases (yes, I had been holding them that entire time), then returned to the approaching group and put up a fighting stance, that same cocky smirk never leaving my face. This was gonna be...interesting. The dumbest-looking one charged towards me first, punching his fist into his opposite hand, chuckling to himself. When he reached my location and tried to grab me, I jumped onto his arms and leapt off of his shoulders, giving him a swift kick in the back of his head as I did so, feeling the grease from his hair squeak on my Converse sole, making me grimance inwardly. _I'm gonna have to hose that off before I get back to the hotel._

Two big guys were up next, looking a bit more experienced then the boy that I had just brought down. Older, wiser, stronger. Fast, too; I could tell by the way they ran that they were trying to be easy on me. _Too bad for them._ I crouched on the ground like a cat, right at their feet, then pushed my legs up, aiming at their faces at an angle, looking at them from under one of my upstreched arms: the classic capoiera kick. My foot impacted with the one on the right, then I delicately flipped to the one on the left, using the first falling victim as a push-off target to punch as well as kick the second. Red blood spilled and soared through the air, splattering noticeably on my khaki slacks. As I landed gracefully on the balls of my feet, I glared in disgust at the body fluid fermenting a glowing, contrasting red on my light blue sweater. My _favorite _sweater. My favorite sweater that had been a gift from L for my 14th birthday. I couldn't stop staring at it. It made me _infuriated._

That was my distraction and downfall. The biggest guy that I thought had brought down grabbed me from behind and wrapping my skinny frame tightly in his arms, so tightly that I couldn't punch and barely kick; so tightly that if he squeezed me any harder it felt that my ribs would pop out of place. I did my best to escape his grasp, kicking to the best of my ability, since I was at least a foot and a half above the ground, but the air coming into my restricted lungs wasn't enough to keep the blood flowing enough. When I tried to menacingly gasp "Let go of me!", it only made me seem all the more small and pathetic.

The leader, fully regenerated from my blow, sauntered over to his group and me, then watched as I struggled. "You know, you didn't have to make it this hard on yourself, babe. All you had to do was to simply 'take a walk' with me, and we'd both be fine."

"Yeah, right!" I scoffed back. "You'd be fine, but where would I be? I might've ended up pregnant at 14 and a disgrace to what family I have left. You-you think I would be able to _deal_ with that?! _NO! _So you'd better keep dreaming, you _bastard-"_

The boy roughly struck me across the face, and then held his scalpel as if he was about to perform an operation to my body; gently; carefully; making sure that my emerald green eyes were locked with his cold ice blue ones. Ice blue flecked with gold. "I've never had to use this before on anyone," he started, his gaze never faltering. "because no one's actually been able to put up a fight for as long as you can. In fact, nobody's even put up a fight, save for _you._ Lemme just say you've got nothing but my respect, but chicks like you can't hang around any longer than you have. So, hate to do this to your pretty little neck, but-" A sadistic grin pasted itself across his features as he pulled the blade pressed against the main artery. "-I'll see you in hell!"

I could feel the scalpel's sharp edge scrape against my skin, but didn't do anything to stop it except by preparing myself for when the world would go blurry and dark around me and in me. I had never been afraid to die before; the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases had taught me that much. L had me risk my life to help Naomi Misora; to make sure that I played as Beyond Birthday's younger sister and that he thought I was on his side until he was arrested.

It had been my initiation to prove myself to my older brother, the greatest detective alive, that I wasn't just a kid on the sidelines anymore, watching him in the spotlight. I had to show him that I was tough detective material and that I wouldn't crack under pressure, even when BB finally began to suspect me and attacked me that fateful night, giving me the long, ugly, jagged scar wrapping around my waist. He said that he'd never _really_ kill me for good as I was bleeding profusely on the floor, staring up at him, eleven years old and terrified; that he knew when I was going to die so why get rid of me now instead of enjoying my pain? He never needed my help; he had known all along that I had been performing esponiage for his nemisis L, my brother, so until he was arrested, I still played my part, but then as a hostage. I didn't worry too much about the whole thing, knowing Naomi Misora's deduction abilities and her intellegence would see Beyond Birthday behind bars.

My brother was relieved when I walked through the headquarters' doors, holding myself in minor agony, but he saw me through the hardships and made me his fellow detective, one that could be the one out in the world; his eyes where he couldn't see, his ears where he couldn't hear, his voice where he couldn't speak. I was the L that the world saw, the L that everyone overlooked. If I died right then, nobody, save for a small group of people, would know that I was actually gone from this world. And that small group of people would first cry for three days, then hate my guts right after because I had turned out to be such a weakling. And that included my brother.

_"-I'll see you in hell!"_

I braced myself even more, vowing that I wouldn't cry, not in front of these guys. All I said was, "please, stop!". Anything to stall them. My eyes clenched shut and my teeth ground together.

"Excuse me," A somewhat familiar voice interrupted the upcoming disaster. "What're you guys doing?"

When my eyes popped open again, the guy from the sweetshop was there, holding his paper bag of apples, with a look of concern towards me.

The guy with the scalpel glared at him. "She got in our way; she resisted seduction and kicked me where it hurts. What does it _look_ like I'm doing, ya stuck-up prep?"

The guy folded his arms across his chest. "Well, it looks like you're about to kill her."

"Ding-ding. _You get a prize_!"

Suddenly, the guy smirked and walked over to the guy holding me, then effortlessly tugged me out of his grip._ Lucky strong bastard... _"Thanks, guys, for helping me find my sister." _Sister?!_ I looked nothing like him! "She can get so adventurous sometimes and wanders away from where I am, so thanks for keeping her in one spot for me." The boy grabbed my bicep and began to pull me along, leaving the gang boys speechless. "Come on, sis, get your stuff and let's get home. You know Mom's got beef udon for dinner tonight!"

The look in his eye that he gave me told me to play along. "OK, _Onii-chan_!" Cautiously, I went over to the bench and took the purchases in my arms, then went back towards the actor. "Sorry I worried you-"

The leader with the scalpel snatched my wrist and held the scalpel in front of my face. "Next time you won't be so lucky. We're not stupid."

I wriggled out of his grasp in a flash. "Neither am I."

And without another word, I walked over to my rescuer, and we were off, not able to look back.


End file.
